VA Sources Sought: Integrated Library Systems

Notice ID:  36C77624Q0143

The Library Network Office (LNO), the program office that supports the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Library Network (VALNET) of library professionals and staff, seeks to procure an off the shelf secure web-based multi-tenant integrated library system (ILS) for VALNET libraries, that provides all the applications needed to manage a library, including cataloging, circulation, serials control, customized reports, and an online public access catalog.

Background:

VALNET medical center libraries’ collections are diverse, ranging in size and scope, covering general interest reading to coverage of every medical specialty.  Collections span National Library of Medicine (NLM), Library of Congress (LC) and Dewey classification schemes.

LNO supports VALNET library professionals and staff with centralized services and resources, policies and procedures, staff development opportunities, and assistance with local library issues.  Centralized purchases of services and resources funded at the national level provide volume discounts and reduce labor hours of personnel to maintain separate contracts at each medical center.

LNO has traditionally funded and managed administration of contracts in support of technical services operations for VALNET, including OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) Cataloging and Metadata, OCLC WorldShare Interlibrary Loan, and LibraryWorld as an option for an integrated library system for cataloging, circulation, serials control, and public access catalog.

Medical centers are autonomous, and the LNO can offer to fund technical services subscription opportunities for a medical center library, but libraries are not required to participate.  Therefore, the number of libraries participating in this contract will be fluid.  It is anticipated that no more than 100 libraries will utilize a nationally purchased ILS. Currently, there are 80 VA libraries utilizing the LibraryWorld ILS purchased under the previous contract.

Implementation will be administered by LNO’s technical services librarian, who will oversee the contract with the vendor, and coordinate planning with participating medical center library staff.  The technical services librarian will decide the order in which participating libraries will be converted from their current systems to the new integrated library system under this contract, should a conversion away from LibraryWorld be required.

Objectives:

To acquire a secure, web-based multi-tenant integrated library system in order to:

1. Provide a single, nationally purchased system to manage VALNET’s physical collections, for any participating local VA libraries;
2. Support sharing opportunities by providing an ILS system that offers a shared union catalog;
3. Take advantage of the benefits of a single ILS system that facilitates resource sharing and collection analysis and management;
4. Provide a platform for VALNET libraries who wish to participate that will ensure centralized administration and technical support.

Requirements

• All requirements are mandatory.
• The contractor shall provide operations critical to VALNET – circulation, cataloging, online public discovery and access, serials control, collection analysis, reporting, and access to VALNET collections among the libraries – in a productive and streamlined manner (see below for detailed features of various modules).
• The contractor shall provide all-inclusive pricing for: the migration of data, annual subscription to all modules, a union catalog, training, and customer support for all levels of operations.
• The contractor shall implement the ILS for as many libraries as required by the LNO Technical Service Librarian, and shall disable accounts as directed by same, with the possibility that the disabled library account may be reinstated later.
• The contractor shall provide migration of 1 or more libraries at any given time during the length of the contract.

The period of performance is a base year with four option years.

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